Identification of characteristic zooplankton species in the Kinyankonge River basin, Burundi

The objective of this study is to determine the zooplankton species that characterize the Kinyankonge River basin in Burundi. Thus, zooplankton was sampled monthly over a period of 18 months (from July 2015 to June 2016, then from January 2017 to June 2017) at seven stations. The Indicator Value (IndVal) of the identified zooplankton species and the coverage of stations were determined. The results showed that three species characterized significantly the most upstream station whereas the water of the irrigation channel was characterized by 4 species. The waters of the Nyabagere tributary and the wastewater treatment plant are characterized by 1 and 5 species, respectively. Furthermore, the dry season was characterized by 4 singletons and 13 pairs of species, while the rainy season was characterized by 11 pairs of species. Moreover, the group of upstream stations was characterized by 5 species while 3 species characterized the group of downstream stations. These species highlighted by the indicator value method can be used to characterize stations in the Kinyankonge River and provide information on seasonal changes.